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Most E. Jerusalem Arabs Support Car Terror but Want Citizenship

In depth research shows most East Jerusalem Arabs identify with Hamas but prefer Israeli ID card to PLO’s.

Most Arabs in East Jerusalem prefer Israeli citizenship to becoming citizens of a [so-called] “Palestinian” state, but they also support terror against Jews, according to in depth research carried out by David Pollock of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and reported upon Wednesday in Israel Hayom.

Fifty-two percent of the Arabs in East Jerusalem prefer Israeli citizenship, while 45% would rather be citizens in a “Palestinian” state. In a similar poll carried out four years ago, only 40% of those surveyed said that they would rather be Israeli citizens.

In a lecture at the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies Tuesday, Pollock said that the reason many Arabs are interested in Israeli citizenship is that it involves benefits in the areas of health care, pensions and National Insurance stipends.

East Jerusalem Arabs have resident status in Israel, which includes all citizens’ rights except the right to vote.

The preference for Israeli citizenship does not indicate any love for the Jewish state or its majority population, however. The research found that 61% of East Jerusalem residents support “armed struggle” against Israel and the use of cars to run over Jews, and most of them identify with Hamas.